Railway draft appliance



Oct. 18, 1932. w. J. REGAN ET AL I RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANCE Filed Feb. 27. 1928 lllllll lllllllllll Il Patented Cet. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J. REGAN, or WILKINSBUIELG,` AND ENOCH GEORGE, JR., 0F PITTSBURGH, PENN- SYLVANIA, AssIGNoIis To 'THE MCCONWAY a 'TORLEY COMPANY, 0F PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF YITNNSYLVA'NIAY -v RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANCE Application mea rebruary'z'i, 192s.'y sriaiNapas'zai. Y

This invention relates Vto draft appliances for railway cars and particularly to means for flexibly connecting the rear end. of a coupler shankto a draft yoke.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a. constructionpermitting the standardAmerican Railway Association design of coupler to swing laterally with respect to the yoke and to provide a form of cooperating yoke for which a standard American Railway Association yoke may be substituted when making renewals or in an emergency.

The primary feature of the invention, generally stated, consists in interposing between the stem of a car coupler and a draft yoke, a member which is connected to the coupler by a key Vand is connected to the yoke by vertically alined pivot pins whose axes are `coincident and disposed in advance of the rear end of the coupler stem, the said pins being related to t-lie parts whichtliey connectin such manner as to be in double shear. Y

A further feature of .the invention consists in interposing between the yoke and coupler a member which is pivotally movable with respect to the yoke, said member being formed with vertically spaced openings for respectively receiving the arms of the yoke and the stem of the coupler, the coupler stem being interposed between the yoke arms in overlapped relation thereto, means being provided for pivotally connecting said member to the' yoke, and aikey being employed for connecting said member to the coupler.

In the drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in plan and part ly in horizontal section, of a construction'embodying the invention, portions of the coupler, yoke and the transverse connecting key being broken away.

Figure 2 is a view, partly invertical section and partly in elevation, of the construction shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 but illustrating a modified form of the in# vention in which the arms of the yoke are connected near their forward ends by an integral tie.

Figure 4 is a vertical central section of the structure shown in Figure 3, the car coupler v, and the pivot pins being in elevation.

e e Figure 5V is a view corresponding to Figure 1, but illustrating a modified embodiment of ythe invention in which an independent bearing block or seat is provided for cooperatingv with the rear end of ythe coupler stem in builing.

Figure 6 is a vertical central section of the device shown in Figure 5, the car coupler and pivot pins being in elevation.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the stem 1 of the car coupler is of the standard American Railway Association design. It is formed near its rear end with aV transverse slot 2 for receiving the usual key The yoke 4, which may be of the convenf tional U-shape, isfashioned at the forwardv ends of its spaced arms 5 with pivot lugs 6 having verticallyalined perforations 7' for*- receiving corresponding pivot pinsv 8. The arms of the yoke overlap the rear end of the coupler stem so that the aXes of the pivot pins 8 are disposed in advance of the reai'iend of the coupler and the cylindrical bodies of the pins overlaptlie coupler key 3 above and be# low the latter.

Interposed between the yoke and the stem 1`of the car coupler and embracing the latter Y isa yoke-head or frame member 9 having an opening 10 for receiving the rear end of the" coupler stem. It is also `formed with open Y ended slots 11 for respectively receiving the arms 5v of the yoke, as well as lbeing' formed with transversely alined elongated slots 12 for receiving the key 3. Each of the slots 11` is spaced away from the adjacent side of the Acoupler stem 1 to permit'the provision in the member 9, immediately above and below the coupler shank, of horizontal tie walls 13 which are parallel to the outer walls 14 of the slots 11. The walls `13 and 14 have suitable openings for receiving the respective headed pivot pins 8, thereby enabling the latter to be indouble shear whenk the yoke 4 is'pulled forward in draft. Flexiblyj con- Vso asy

knecting the member 9 Vto the yoke4 enables thesides ofthe member 9 in which the key slots 12 aie formed to be spaced apart an amountrjlvust suicient `to allow the coupler and the pivot pins 8 are then insertedpintheir s proper openings to effect the-connection of these two parts, the headed end of each pivot pin being uppermost. The draft gear (not shown) is then inserted between the yoke arms and the parts thus assembled are raised into posit-ion and mounted on the car as a unit in the usual way. The' rear end of the stem of the coupler 1 is then inserted inthe opening 10 ofthe member 9 and the transverse key is thereafter passed through the slots 2 and 12.

No cotters or other means are required to hold the pivot pins 8 in place and the upper pivot pin will occupy a position just below the bottom of the car floor plates, while the` underside of the coupler stem-1 prevents the lower pivot pin from jnmpingor creeping upward. n

rlhe embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 is generally the same as that disclosed in Figures 1 and 2, eX- cept that the rear end, of the coupler shank 15 is cylindrically curved, as at 16, co-ncentric with the aires of the pivot pins 8, the arms 5 of the draft yoke being integrally united just to the rear of their pivot lugs 6 by a vertical wall 17, whose forwardface 18 is curved to correspond to the curved rear end of the coupler shank. The forward curved surface 18 of the wall 17 affords a large bearing areal for the end of the coupler shank in bufring in any position the coupler may occupy, while the rear face 19 of this wall provides an extended bearing area for' the forward follower or draft gear when bufling, The rear edges 20 of thehorizontal tie walls'l of the yoke-head member are, as shown, suitably formed to afford ample clearance for the vertical tie wall 1T of the yoke. rEhe remaining features of construction of this embodiment of the invention correspond `in form and is cylindrically curved, as at 22, concentricV with the iivot pins 8 to cooperate with a bearing block 23 having a correspondingly curved seat 24, the block being independent of the yoke and being positioned at the rear Vend of the coupler stem between the interior heretofore described and have therefore been indicated by corresponding reference numerals. The design of the coupler shank 21, bearingblock 23 and yoke 4, are such that. a standard American Railway Assciation coupler may be substituted for the coupler and bearing block shown.

' The manner of assembling the devices shown in Figures 3 to 5 inclusive is substantially the same as that heretofore described in respect to the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, as will be readily understood.

l/Ve claim:

1. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a yoke having a plurality of spaced arms' which are integrally united adjacent their forward ends by a substantially Vvertical wall, a car coupler having a stem interposed between said arms and adapted to contact said vertical wall in b-ufling, a member operatively associated with the yoke and-coupler for permitting pivotal movement of the latter with respect to the yoke, said member having a plurality of slots for respectively receiving the arms of the yoke,

means for pivotally connecting the yoke to said member, and a key for connecting the latter to the coupler, the rear end of the coupler stein and said vertical wall having cooperating concentrically curved bearing faces.

2. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a yoke having al plurality of spaced arms, of a car coupler having a. stem extending between said arms, a member operatively associated with the yoke and coupler for permitting pivotal movement of the latter with respectv to the yoke, said member having aplurality of slots for receiving the arms of the yoke, means for pivotally connecting the yoke to said member, a key for connecting the latter to the coupler, and means at the rear of the coupler stem adapted to engage the forward follower of a draft rigging, said last named means and the end of the couple-r stem having cooperating curved bearing faces.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

` Y WILLIAM J. REGAN.

i ENOCH GEORGE, JR.

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